A picture released by the official Syrian Arab News Agency on July 19 shows Syrian General Fahd al-Freij (R) meeting with President Bashar al-Assad in Damascus following his swearing-in ceremony as the new defense minister. 
A man holds up a picture of President Bashar al-Assad at a former police station in Atareb after clashes between Syrian soldiers and Free Syrain Army near Aleppo on Thursday, July 19. Rebels seized control of border crossings with Iraq on Thursday, dealing a new blow to President Bashar al-Assad, as China and Russia dismayed the West by blocking U.N. action against his regime. 
People walk along the street in Atareb amidst damage caused by clashed between Syrian soldiers and the Free Syrian Army. 
A Syrian man checks the former police station of Syrian regime after a clash at Atareb on Thursday. 
Smoke ascends from from alleged shelling of the Syrian village of Jebata al-Khashab as seen from the hill village of Buqaata in the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights on Thursday. 
The death toll in Syria on July 12, 2012 reached 287, making it the bloodiest day in Syria since the uprising began. As it has done consistently, Syrian state television blamed "armed terrorist groups" for the killings. 
A Syrian woman sits with her grandson outside a damaged building after attacks in the Syrian village of Treimsa on July 13, 2012. More than 200 people were massacred in the town, according to activists. 
A Syrian demonstrator holds an opposition flag during a protest in Damascus on July 2, 2012. There have been increasing reports of violence in the Syrian capital. 
Syria's President Bashar al-Assad waves as he arrives for a speech to Syria's parliament in Damascus on June 3, 2012. The embattled president denied that government forces were behind the "outrageous" massacre in Houla. 
People gather at a mass burial on May 26, 2012 for victims reportedly killed during an artillery barrage from Syrian forces in Houla. The attack left at least 108 people dead, including nearly 50 children, according to the United Nations. 
Members of the Free Syrian Army return to Qusayr on May 12, 2012 after an attack on Syrian regime forces in the village of Nizareer, near the Lebanese border in Homs. 
A U.N. observer speaks with Syrian rebels and civilians in the village of Azzara on May 4, 2012, days before the country's parlianemtary polls were held against a backdrop of unrest. 
Thousands of Syrians wave their national flag and hold portraits of President Bashar al-Assad and Lebanon's Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah, right, during a rally to show support for their leader on March 29, 2012 in Damascus. 
Syrian rebel fighters man a checkpoint leading into the town of Taftanaz in the rebel stronghold province of Idlib on March 20, 2012. 
A Free Syrian Army rebel mounts his steed in the Al-Shatouria village near the Turkish border in northwestern Syria on March 16, 2012, a year after the uprising began. The Free Syrian Army is an armed opposition group made up largely of military defectors. 
Syrian refugees walk across a field before crossing into Turkey on March 14, 2012. International mediator Kofi Annan called for an immediate halt to the killing of civilians in Syria as he arrived in Turkey for talks on the crisis. 
A day after the twin suicide bombings, Syrian mourners pray over the coffins of the 44 people killed during a mass funeral in Damascus. 
A Syrian man who was wounded in a suicide attack rests at a hospital in Damascus on December 23, 2011. Suicide bombers hit two security service bases in the Syrian capital, killing dozens of people. 
Arab foreign ministers attend an emergency meeting at the Arab League headquarters in Cairo on October 16, 2011, to discuss the crisis in Syria. 
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton speaks to the media in Washington on August 18, 2011. Clinton said U.S. sanctions on Syrian oil "strike at the heart of the Syrian regime." 
Syrian youths wave national flags while army troops drive out of Daraa on May 5, 2011. During a week-long military lockdown of the town, dozens of people were reportedly killed in what activists described as "indiscriminate" shelling on the city. 
Syrians in Damascus protest in the street on March 25, 2011, after clashes with government forces in Daraa left several dead. 
Supporters of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad rally on April 1 in Istanbul, Turkey, as delegates from dozens of countries gather to push for ways to end the deadly violence in Syria. The United Nations estimates more than 10,000 people have been killed since the beginning of the crisis in March 2011. The conflict is now being labeled a civil war by the International Committee of the Red Cross. 
- NEW: Syrians flock to Turkey, Lebanon amid violence
- NEW: Protesters chant, "In Ramadan, victory will be written in Damascus"
- NEW: The military is working to oust "terrorists" and take over all neighborhoods in the capital
- Rebels making significant attacks on strategic border points, officials say
(CNN) -- Syrian troops clashed with opposition fighters Friday as the battle for the capital advances relentlessly despite collapsed diplomatic efforts to impose sanctions against the regime.
Several explosions rocked Midan neighborhood in Damascus, where regime forces in tanks battled with fighters, according to opposition activists.
The government maintained its stance that its aim is to get rid of "terrorists" in the areas targeted. A Syrian security official told Al-Arabiya TV that the military has started an operation to take over all neighborhoods in Damascus.
"Our heroic armed forces completely cleansed the Midan neighborhood from the remnants of the terrorists, restoring order and peace in the area," a banner on state television reported.
Protesters taking to the streets invoked the Muslim holy of month of Ramadan as their theme Friday. They chanted "In Ramadan, victory will be written in Damascus." The holy period begins Friday in many countries.
Video: Syria government says it will fight back
Syrian TV shows new video of al-Assad 
What's next for Syria's president? 
Major blow to al-Assad regime in attack 
Syria at a tipping point? At least 15 people died in attacks nationwide Friday, the opposition Local Coordination Committees of Syria said.
A Free Syrian Army fighter said Friday that many soldiers and civilians were slain in fighting over the past two days in the northern, rebel-held town of Saraqeb.
CNN cannot independently confirm reports of violence in the nation because the government restricts access by foreign journalists.
The reported fighting signals looming battles following a U.N. Security Council deadlock over a resolution seeking to add sanctions against Syria for defying a cease-fire agreement.
Russia and China vetoed a resolution on the Syria crisis for the third time in about 10 months, sparking international condemnation.
Susan Rice, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, called the two countries "isolated outliers" on the issue.
Fierce fighting has raged in the capital for days, dealing a blow to the government of President Bashar al-Assad and cracking the image of invulnerability that surrounded the regime.
Video: How does Assad survive in Syria?
A blast in Damascus on Wednesday claimed the lives of three top officials -- al-Assad's brother-in-law, his defense minister and a security adviser -- dealing a major blow to his inner circle.
The head of the Syrian nation security, who was injured in the blast, died Friday, state media reported, the fourth top official killed in the explosion.
In another sign of what seems to be his crumbling power, the president did not appear in public after the killings, but was finally shown on television Thursday during a swearing-in ceremony for the new defense minister.
The whereabouts of the president or the location of the ceremony remain unclear, though some have suggested he is not at the capital.
Rebels are battling government forces in Damascus and its suburbs, and making significant attacks on strategic border points, officials said.
Rebel fighters seeking control of the country's borders with Turkey and Iraq reported success in the latter.
The crossing points of Albo Kamal and seven additional security posts are in the hands of the rebels, a senior Iraqi army official in Anbar province said. He did not want to be named because he is not authorized to talk to the media.
Iraqi security forces have increased their military and security presence at the border in Anbar, the official said.
At U.N. headquarters in New York, Western countries pushed for a resolution Thursday for new sanctions if government forces don't stop attacks against civilians.
The resolution also called for renewing the 300-member U.N. observer mission for 45 days after it was suspended because of violence.
Russia and China -- major trade allies with Syria -- vetoed the resolution, saying they want a more balanced one that calls on all sides to halt the violence.
Next for Syria: Showdown or stalemate?
Competing drafts, sponsored by the United Kingdom and Pakistan, are expected to be considered by the U.N. Security Council, highlighting the simmering differences among members.
The UK mission said its resolution will be considered Friday morning. That draft measure extends the observer mission in Syria for a final period of 30 days.
Russia wants observers to stay in the country and promote dialogue, but Western countries are concerned about the safety of observers and want one final deployment.
Blog: Time to drop the Annan plan
The United Nations has been estimating that more than 10,000 people have been killed in the violence since the crisis began in March 2011. Several opposition groups have issued higher tolls. One prominent group, the Local Coordination Committees of Syria, estimates that more than 16,000 have died.
Meanwhile, Syrians fled to neighboring nations and other parts of the nation amid the relentless violence.
About 43,390 Syrians are living in camps in Turkey, the latter's disaster and emergency officials said in a statement. About 710 Syrians arrived in Turkey between Thursday and Friday, the statement said.
In Lebanon, the U.N. refugee agency said reports show between 8,500 and 30,000 people crossed into the nation in the past 48 hours.
"With the rapidly evolving situation, it is not possible to give an accurate figure of numbers of displaced persons in Syria," the U.N. refugee agency said. " As of last week, it was estimated that 1 million people may have been forced to flee inside the country since the conflict began."
Syrians are running low on resources and turning to the Syrian Arab Red Crescent and other aid groups for help, according to the relief agency.
CNN's Saad Abedine, Mohammed Tawfeeq, Ben Brumfield and Joe Sterling contributed to this report.
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